Carrad one

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Carrad here.

Carlton and Radcliffe are not easy to connect, as there are no public bridges over the Trent between Lady Bay and Gunthorpe, so this route does quite an efficient job, though using the scenic path through Colwick Woods rules it out as a route for those with mobility issues.

I walked it from Carlton to Radcliffe, and although almost all of the route was familiar territory, I quite enjoyed it, and this is the only Slow Ways route that uses the river path from Lady Bay to Holme Pierrepont (if only there was a right of way directly from the far end of Holme Pierrepont park to Radcliffe a much nicer route would be possible - there is a path round the far end of the rowing lake but you have to double back to Skylarks and use Holme Lane to get from there to Radcliffe, and this is too indirect to use here).

From Carlton the route goes parallel to the railway, initially on a quiet road with a pavement and then on a surfaced path/cycle track. At Douglas Avenue we turn right steeply uphill and then left onto Greenwood Road.

Where that road turns right up the hill, we take the footpath into Colwick Woods. There are many paths through Colwick Woods - if in doubt keep left but avoid little used ones. There are quite a lot of little ups and downs through the woods, and the steeper sections have steps, and most of it is unsurfaced, but the woods are pleasant and some of the views are good.

At Colwick Road the route goes sharp left over the level crossing then right down Racecourse Road to the end of the Sneinton Greenway, another surfaced cycletrack. When I looked at this route on the map, I doubted the wisdom of staying on the greenway all the way to Manvers Street, but you can cross at a pelican crossing here, then stay on the right hand pavement all the way to the Lady Bay Bridge junction, so in some ways this is easier than the WESCAR 1 route.

The footpath over Lady Bay bridge is on the right (west) side of the bridge, and on the West Bridgford side the way down to the river path is beyond it, down a flight of steps to the right (west) of the road. There is no direct access from the east side of the bridge - the GPX should really make this clear.

Once beyond the steps the river path is good, with a rough but stable surface that is never too muddy. Eventually you will reach the gate into the Holme Pierrepont water park - here we follow the Trent Valley Way sharp right to Adbolton Lane. The route follows Adbolton Lane (which has a walkable verge as far as the park entrance, and is fairly quiet beyond that. We then follow Holme Lane to the edge of Radcliffe.

From here, the route follows the Trent Valley Way path across to the recreation ground. This involves a couple of stiles, but these should not worry anyone who has managed the steps in Colwick Wood and at Lady Bay bridge, and can be avoided by continuing along The Green to Main Road. Beyond the park the rest of the route is an easy pavement walk.

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